Truckers and other long-distance drivers sometime take in hitchhikers, especially if they are traveling alone and could use someone else’s company to keep them from getting bored or feeling sleepy in the long-haul journey.

Pedro Peirone, from the town of San Jose de la Esquina, in Santa Fe, Argentina, was used to having hitchhikers in his business trips across the country and other areas of South America.

Photo credit: YouTube / SANJOSEVIDEOCABLE

But while he’s forgotten the faces and stories of many of the people he’s picked up along the road all those years, he’s not likely to forget one young man who burned an imprint on his mind and actually left burnt footprints on the rubber mat of his car.

It started out like any other trip for Peirone last February 26, on his way to San Jose de la Esquina. He picked up a young man by the road who was a bit shy and didn’t talk much. When asked, he said he’s 17 years old and lives in a nearby town; the teen added that he’ll just tell Peirone where he’d get off.

They didn’t talk a lot; though after the strange incident happened, Peirone wished he’d gotten more information from the young man as that might have answered the many questions he had in his head.

Miles into the trip, the young man told him he’d be getting off at the next junction which happens to a road leading to a cemetery. Peirone didn’t think much about it but when they reached the junction, something strange happened.

“Finally, he asked me to drop him off at the junction with the road leading to the cemetery, and, as soon as I got there, I sensed an awful burning smell. I stopped to see if something had caught fire, got out to check the back of the truck, and as soon as I turned around, I noticed there was no one inside,” he later told reporters.

Photo credit: YouTube / SANJOSEVIDEOCABLE

He ran around the truck and tried to see if the boy had gotten out of the vehicle without him noticing but there was no sign of the teen; only the strong burnt smell remained.

Some of Peirone’s other trucker friends happened to pass by at the moment; they helped him search for teen but they were surprised to see the burned footprint marks on the rubber mat inside the car as well as on some spots on the road, heading towards the cemetery. Creepy.

Because he was really concerned over what could have happened to the teen, Peirone went to the police station to report the incident. He led the cops and curious reporters to the spot but no one could explain what happened, except that perhaps he had a ghost hitchhiker; though this particular ghost was ‘more powerful’ that others as it left physical marks on the car mat.

Some reporters thought he was just making up the story but when they started digging, they learned Peirone was a respectable and upstanding member of the community; he’s also a devout Catholic and known to be an honest man.

“I’m a little stressed, nervous. I’m not afraid, but I just cannot explain what happened,” the still-confused Peirone added.